Medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might increase the risk of a type of chronic diarrhea that can lead to severe intestinal problems and, in rare cases, death, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. These drugs—which include Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec—are used to treat heartburn and gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD).

Pfizer has recalled 14 lots of its birth control pills Lo/Ovral-28, and 14 lots of the generic version Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol, because of a packaging error that could cause the daily regimen for these oral contraceptives to be incorrect, leaving women at risk for unintended pregnancy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Rexall, Inc., of Deerfield Beach, Fla., have issued a recall alert for one lot of the company's calcium supplements. The bottles of Rexall Calcium 1200 mg plus 1000IU Vitamin D3 actually contain tablets of triple strength glucosamine chondroitin, which are derived from crustacean shells and may be harmful to consumers with shellfish allergies.

The Food and Drug Administration is warning healthcare professionals and patients that opiate products, including Percocet, manufactured and packaged by Novartis Consumer Health for Endo Pharmaceuticals, may have been mixed up and therefore labeled as the wrong drug.

Well-known birth control pills such as Yaz and Yasmin need stronger warnings about the risk of blood clots, an FDA advisory committee reportedly recommended last week. This comes on the heels of the agency’s recently released analysis showing the drugs pose a greater risk of clots compared to older birth control pills. The FDA acknowledged that other studies have not found such an increase. With all the controversy, where does this leave women who take Yaz and related oral contraceptives?

The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to steer clear of the weight-loss product known as human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), because the diet drug has not been approved by the FDA, and the companies selling them make unsupported claims.

When it comes to relieving depression, none of the 13 available second-generation antidepressants, such as Cymbalta, Prozac and Zoloft, are any better than older drugs, according to a study out yesterday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration called on U.S. Marshals to seize dietary supplements by a Wisconsin maker for allegedly false claims made about their safety and effectiveness in treating diseases, the FDA announced yesterday.

It's long been known that large doses of acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic) taken all at once can be fatal. But it turns out that cumulative smaller doses that exceed the maximum daily amount might be even riskier. These so-called staggered overdoses are more likely to damage the liver and other organs and increase the risk of dying, according to a study published today in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

The Department of Justice announced a $950 million settlement with the second-largest U.S. drugmaker, Merck, Sharp & Dohme for its illegal promotion of its Vioxx painkiller in 2004. The drug, rofecoxib, was pulled from store shelves seven years ago when studies linked increased risks of heart attacks and strokes, even after patients stop taking the medicine.

The Food and Drug Administration announced its decision today to revoke the approval of the drug bevacizumab (Avastin) for treatment of metastatic breast cancer, which works by preventing new blood vessels from forming, starving a tumor of its blood supply.

The Federal Trade Commission announced it has settled its two year old case against two companies which hyped weight-loss products based on "hoodia," a substance derived from the Hoodia gordonii cactus of southern Africa.

The popular anti-smoking drug varenicline, which is sold under the brand names Chantix and Champix, is more strongly linked to suicide, suicide attempts, and depression than some other common smoking-cessation aids, according to a study out today in the online medical journal PLoS One.

The most prevalent financial problem Americans face month in month out is the inability to afford their medicines. That’s according to a monthly national poll by Consumer Reports National Research Center. Indeed, medication in the U.S. can cost up to twice as much as it does in other parts of the world, so many bargain hunters turn to the Web seeking discounted, name-brand prescription drugs from Canada or other countries. But recent analysis has found that buyers should beware: Only a fraction of online pharmacies are legitimate. Our medical consultants say that given such risks, ordering from foreign websites should be avoided altogether.

That’s the finding from a prospective observational study published today in the International Journal of Obesity, comparing the protective antibody levels and T-cell responses to the seasonal flu vaccine in overweight, obese, and healthy weight adults.